Extensible mail box



Feb. 26, 1935*. H. STEEN EXTENSIBLE MAIL Box Filed Jan. 31, 1935INVENTOR BY/ 0r @fe el? M1 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 26, 1935 n i 3' l`vvUNITED :STATES PATENT oFFicli:A

` fEx'rENsIBLE Box Henry Steen, Vashon, Wash.' v Application January 31,1933, Serial-No. 654,381

claims.L (o1. 23a-i7) This inventionhas reference to improvements felledt0, -and Whiell Will be' particularly dein mail boxes of the varietywhich may be ex" scribed in Order( tended to accommodatethem to packagesor ar" "A'teleSeOpic member, generally denoted as 10, tioles 0f unusumlength f a has a bodyfportion 11vof approximately the same s itsvobjects, generaiiystated, arez. length as Seid body 1 and snuglyco'nforrilablel` 5 To providek a. mail box, normally of the dithereto,the Sama as is evident, beingfdesgnedmensions which conformtotherequirements of' to teles'copicallyengage said body. The rear end theUnited states Post-.OfficeDepartment,v lout 0f the'body portionlly is atall times Open, and having a telescopic member engaging the body itsfrontv edge is provided throughout With abead of the box and providedwith a door,.and which 12, thisv bead 'purposely having a. crossvsectional 10 member may be manipulated from the front of areaconsiderablir larger than the 4beadededge 5. the box soas to extend thelength of the box, Said member'lo, includes at its front end, a doortherebypermitting'it to receive objects or pack- 13, WlliCll ObViOuSlypermits the' vfiOIll @11d t0 ages unusually long; beopened orclosed'eas'de'sired. Said door is l5 To provide in such a mail box, acatch 'device hingedly Connected With the lOWer edge 0f lthe 15 Ainstrumental in extending' saidv box to different body portion 11,`a`sat 14, and carries a flange 15, and predetermined lengths,y butwnicnserves to which 'affords a weatherproof connectionffor limit thelongitudinal movement of said tele-r the door with thfbead ,"12. Saidflange iS 0f scopic member so that itmay not be withdrawn SuflicientWdthfand the heavier bead 12 vCauses! from the body of` the Vbox withoutdsengaging the 'flange 1,50 be Sleillefi4 aWY fIOm the WallSOf 20 saiddevice;V and, K the body portion 11 to such an extentvas toalso Toprovide elements which render. thebox afford a Weather-proof' connectionfor said Weather-proof Avvhen said `box is in either exflange with thebeaded edge' on the body 1, tended 01` closed position- When Said member10S fully tleSCOpBd Within 1n the accompanying drawingv g said body.l 16denotes a handle for manipulating 25 Figure 1 is a perspective of saidmail lbox in Said teleSeOpic member, and 17 vdesignates genf extendedposition A k erally, a retainingfdevice for'said door.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same in Said device comprises amember 20, made of telescoped position. relatively -stiffspringmateriaLrixedly secured at Fig. 3 is a cross section, drawn ontheline 3-'-3,. diie end tothe body portion llvand bent vso as to 30` ofFig. 2, affording a front View of an upstandaccommodate the beaded edge5 and thereby pering projection of said catch device as located in mitthe member 10 t0 be telescoped in closed p0- its groove in the body ofthe box. .l sitionwithin the body of the box. The member Fig. 4 is across section, drawn on the `line 4,-4, 20 is Valso bent' so that it mayclear thedoor 13 of Fig. V2, showing, in an enlarged form, said. andextend in an approximately horizontal po 25 catch devie sition,the`samebeing of alengthwhich will per- Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of Fig. 2on anenv mit it to projectfor a substantial distance beyond i largedScale, said door. A''Ihe'freeend o-f the member 20 is pe Referring moreparticularly to the drawing, 1 turned slightly, as at 21, to fori`r 1a-lip,andisaid 4 denotes the body of the mail box, Whichbodymember-is-provided withan upstanding bight 40 is mainlyconventional'in form. vvAs it may be portion v22 and an opening 23.Asecond member f noted particularly in Figfz, the bottom portioniS'DifOvided'for this device, the same including a 2 of the body isprovided with ends 3,bent right body' Dertien 24, xedly secured-'to thedoor 13. f angularly andl downwardly,l which serve to ele-` Extendmg.from Said bQdY @11201124 iS a hOrir vate said portion slightly whenitis secured in Zfmtauy" `dl,sposed portion 25 Whlchfanles El 4*? place,and also provide, inconnection with the blght prtmn 26. and' an, .Openmg'27 Cmplefv mentary to said bight portion 22 and opening 23. sldesandrear end of the body,a bottom flange 23denotesan e e A- gerpiecedepending from said body 4 for'sald body' The body 1 1S 0105.66' at ltsrear portion(r Said bight portions function as retain--y end and openvat its front end, said front end,

exclusive of 'the adjacent edge of the Ibottom 1 and 2 vfor keeping SaidVdoor Shut, *and Said.

POI'iOn 2,`bei1!gp1`OVided With a beaded edge 5- iingerpiece obviouslyis useful in raising yand 6 designates an integral `and internalvlongitudilowering said door and in bringingy said retaining nal grooveformed in the top of said body, vthe elements intoclosed or openposition. When the same constituting apart of the catch device re-y dooris shun-the openings 23 and'27 are broughtl 55' ing elements, when theycontact as shown in Figs. 50 i into alignment, and a padlock may beinstalled therein, if desired.

Integral with the body portion 11 of said telescopic member are aplurality of external grooves 29, disposed in spaced parallel relation.Said grooves are adapted to provide, in cooperation with the beaded edgeof the body of the box, weather-proof connections for the body 11 of themember with the body 1 of the box, When said memberisin extendedposition, saidgrooves being designedto fit'iritdsaid edge 5, obviouslywhen brought into contact therewith, 4and thereby affording closefitting joints. Said grooves also subserve another useful purpose, inthat they provide channels for diverting Water downwardly so that it maymore readily run off of the body of 4the member 10.

The catch device, previously ineriticne'zd,A` come prises a strip 30`ofsheet spring stock, iixedly secured as at 31, to the underside of thetop wall of. the telescopic member 10,1 It is provided at its free endwith an integral, right angular and pointed projection 32 whi chextendsthrough a slot` 3 3 in said top walL-,the said projection beingfreely movable vertically in said slot.- The'pro jection 32 normallyextends into. and slidably enfgages the-groove- 6 inthebody of thebox,the front endof said groove serving to limit the forward movementof saidvprojection therein, and thereby preventingthe telescopic memberv frombeing wholly withdrawnfrom said body while the device lisfunctioning asay mail box,

As is evident, the normal position of the point of the projection 32 Aisabove the top of the body ofthe member 10.` When inserting said membertop of said body, click .intothe groovev 6, when said groove is reachedlIt is then inoperative position, the projection ridingback and forth insaid groove, as the member-lois moved inwardly or outwardly.

Assuming that the `telescsepic member -is disposed `completely Withinthe body of thel box; the

device functions asan ordinarymail box, mail matterj obviouslybeingdeposited; after opening the door 13 by releasing the` retainingAdevice,- through pulling on the ngerpiece 2 8. If it be desired toextendsaid telescopic member, this is done by pulling on the handle 16,said retaining device being effectivein keeping said door closed againstsuch action. When the mailbox has been `inte'riorly of said member, whenthe parts may be easily separated- While it is contemplatedthat thismail box when in telescoped condition may be of ordinary size, thevconstruction` described will permit, if desired, the provision of a mailbox which is normally smallerthan usual, its extensible feature,

1 and weather-proof qualities whether the box'is extended or not,imparting to it effective increased capacity as thesame may berequired.

Changes-mandmodications of the` construction described maybelmadejwithout departing .-1 from the spiritofmy inventionorqsacricing-its advantages, hence it is asked that I be not confined tothe specific structure set forth, except as limited by the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. An extensible mail box, comprising a body portion closed at its rearend and open at its front end, said front end having a beaded edge, arecess in said portion, a member telescopically engaging said portion,said member being open at its rear end and its front end, saidfront endhaving a beaded edge of greater cross-sectional area than thefirst-named beaded edge, a door hingedly mounted to the front end ofsaid mem` ber, a flange carried by said door adapted to embraceV thesecond beaded edge and provide a Weather-proof connection for the doortherewith, said flange having a width which will permit it also toembrace the rst beaded edge and provide a Weatherfproof connection withthe front end of the body portion when said member is fully telescopedwithin said portion, a retaining device for said door, and a catchextending from said member and slidably engaging said recess forlimiting the longitudinal travel of said member.

2. An extensible mail box, .comprising a' body portion closed at itsrear end and openat its front end, said front end having a beaded edge,

an internal and longitudinal groove disposed iny said portion, a member.telescopically engaging said portion, said member being open at its rearward end and its forward end, said forward end having a beaded edge, adoor hingedly mounted to Jthe forward end of said member, a nange'extending continuously along the Side edge and top edge portions of saiddoor and directed rearwardly, the rst-named edge being so proportionedin size relative to the size of the second-named edge and said flangehaving a width'and being of such a character as to provide a closecontact for the flange with each ofsaidedges when said member is fullytelescoped within said portion, and a spring catch extending from saidmember and slidably engaging said groove for limiting the longitudinalmovement of Vsaid member.

3. In an extensible mail box, a body portion closed at its rear end andopen at its front end, said front end having a beaded edge, a membercomplementary to and telescopically vengaging said portion forincreasing the-length of said box, said member being open at its rearend and its front end, a door, having a ange, swingingly connected withthe 'front end of said member and providing a Weather-proof closuretherefor, said flange extending rearwardly of said door and adapted,when 'said member is telescoped Within said portion, to embrace saidedge and provide a weatherproof connection for said member with saidportion, and a spring-actuated catchdevice to prevent said member frombeing inadvertent- 1y v'rithdiawn from said portion.

4. In an extensible mail box, a body portion having a closed rear Aendand an open front end, said front end having a beaded edge,'a membercomplementary to and telescopically engaging said portion for increasingthe length of said boxI said member being open at its rear end and pro*vided at its front end with a beaded edge larger in crosssectional areathan the first-named edge, a door, having a flange, hingedly mounted tothe front end of said member and providing a weather-proof closuretherefor, said flange being adapteA ed, when said member -is telescopedwithin said portion, to cover, in close ttingengagement, the first-namededge, and a pluralityv of external grooves carried by said member andlocated in spaced parallel relation, said grooves providingWeather-proof connections for said member with the beaded edge of saidportion when said member is in extended position.

5. In an extensible mail box, the combination of a main body portionhaving an open end provided with a beaded edge, an internal and 1on-`gitudinal groove disposed in said portion, a. member complementary toand telescopically engaging said portion, for increasing the length ofsaid box, said member being provided with an opening positionedoppositely of said groove and also 'a plurality of external groovesdisposed in spaced parallel relation, said grooves ybeing adapted tocontact with said edge and afford weather-proof contacts between saidportion and said member as the member is extended, and a spring retainercomprising a spring xedly secured at one end within said member, saidspring having an upstanding free end retractable within said opening andengageable with said groove.

HENRY STEEN.

